The present invention relates to the field of gaming including board games and computerized play of board games including play via networks including the world wide web.
The first references to the game of checkers are found as early as 1600 B.C. in Egyptian paintings and inscriptions at the time of the Pharaohs. In England and Scotland, this game is called xe2x80x98draughtsxe2x80x99 (pronounced as xe2x80x98draftsxe2x80x99). There are many versions played worldwide.
Checkers on an 8xc3x978 board, is the checkers game played mostly in Great Britain (where it is called draughts), USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and a few other countries. The most popular version of checkers, however is played on a 10xc3x9710 board in Eastern Europe. In the USA, that game is sometimes called Polish Checkers. Elsewhere, it is called International Draughts. There are other 8xc3x978 varieties played in Spain and Italy and elsewhere.
Anglo-American Checkers or draughts is a game for two players. It is played on an 8xc3x978 checkered board, with a dark square in each player""s lower left corner (see FIG. 1 wherein the xe2x80x9cdarkxe2x80x9d squares are dotted and numbered).
Pieces move only on dark squares (numbered in FIG. 1). Numbers are used to record the moves, for example, if Red moves from square 9 to square 13, then it is recorded as: 9-13.
Each player controls its own army of pieces (men). The player who controls Red pieces moves first. The pieces (also known as xe2x80x98menxe2x80x99) are arranged as shown in FIG. 1.
The goal in the checkers game is either to capture all of the opponent""s pieces or to blockade them. If neither player can accomplish the above, the game is a draw.
Starting with Red, the players take turns moving one of their own pieces. A xe2x80x9cpiecexe2x80x9d means either a xe2x80x9cmanxe2x80x9d an ordinary single checker or a xe2x80x9ckingxe2x80x9d which is what a man becomes if it reaches the last rank.
A man may move one square diagonally only forward, that is, toward the opponent onto an empty square. Thus, for example in FIG. 1, the red pieces can move 12-16, 11-16 or 11-15. Similarly, the white pieces can move 24-20, 24-19 or 23-19.
Checkers rules state the captures or xe2x80x9cjumpsxe2x80x9d are mandatory. If a square diagonally in front of a man is occupied by an opponent""s piece, and if the square beyond that piece in the same direction is empty, the man may xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d over the opponent""s piece and land on the empty square. The opponent""s piece is captured and removed from the board. Thus, in FIG. 1 red can xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d 14-21, leaving square (where white man used to stand) 17 empty. Similarly, if it were white turn to move, the white man could xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d over its red counterpart 17-10, leaving square 14 empty. If in the course of single or multiple jumps the man reaches the last rank, becoming a king, the turn shifts to the opponent. No further xe2x80x98continuationxe2x80x99 jump is possible.
When a single piece reaches the last rank of the board by reason of a move, or as the completion of a xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d, it becomes a king; and that completes the move, or xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d.
A king can move in any direction and xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d in any direction one or more pieces, as the limits of the board permit. The king can only jump diagonally over one adjacent piece at a time, in any of the four diagonal directions. Multiple jumps are possible.
There are two main styles of checkers played in tournaments, Go-As-You-Please (sometimes called Freestyle or Unrestricted) and 3-Move Restriction. In Go-As-You-Please, you can make any opening moves that you want. In 3-Move, the first 3 moves (Red-White-Red) are chosen at random from a list of accepted 3-Move openings. The list contains no openings that are known losses. 3-Move is more popular in serious tournaments and matches, as it decreases the number of draws. After playing a game with one of the 3-Move openings, you play a second game with the same opening, but from the other side of the board, to even out the disadvantage of having to play a weak opening (such as the Octopus or the Skull Cracker).
There are World Championship Matches in both styles. The 3-move World Championship is the more prestigious. There are National Championship Tournaments, District Tournaments, State Tournaments, local tournaments, mail tournaments, mail ladders, International Team Matches (both over-the-board and mail), and other events.
The U.S. National Tournament is currently the strongest and most prestigious tournament in the world. Every 4th year, the winner of that tournament is the official challenger for the World Championship. Midway between these years, the British Championship Tournament determines the official challenger for the World Championship.
There are also other forms of checkers as listed below.
Italian Checkers (Dama):The board is rotated 90 degrees, so a double corner is to the left of each player. A king cannot be captured by an ordinary piece; kings can only be captured by kings. If you have a choice of jumps, you must capture the greatest number of pieces, or (if the number of captured pieces is equal) you must capture a king rather than an ordinary piece.
Spanish Checkers (Dama):The board is rotated 90 degrees, so a double corner is to the left of each player. A king cannot be captured by an ordinary piece; kings can only be captured by kings. If you have a choice of jumps, you must capture the greatest number of pieces, or (if the number of captured pieces is equal) you must capture a king rather than an ordinary piece. A king can move any distance along a diagonal, if not blocked. A king can make long jumps over a piece, any distance beyond the captured piece, if the way is clear of pieces.
International Checkers or Draughts (Polish Checkers): Played on a 10xc3x9710 board, oriented as in our English version. Each player has 20 pieces, which begin in the first four rows. Ordinary pieces move only forward, but may capture backward (in short leaps as in the English version). A king can make long jumps (or a series of such jumps) when capturing. A king can make long jumps over a piece (or a series of such jumps over pieces), any distance in front of, or beyond the captured piece, if the way is clear of pieces. An ordinary piece which jumps onto the back row, must continue jumping off the back row, if possible; and it does not become a king until it lands on the back row at the end of a move (or jump).
Canadian Checkers (Grand jeu de dames): Exactly like International Checkers, but on a 12xc3x9712 board.
Damenspiel/German Checkers/Spanish Pool Checkers: Exactly like International Checkers, but on an 8xc3x978 board. A promoted piece is called a queen (dame).
Russian Checkers (Shashki): Like Damenspiel, except that capturing is not forced. And a piece becomes a queen when it touches the king row, even if it continues to jump off the king row on that move.
Giveaway Checkers (Losing Game): Like our English version, except the object is to give away all of your pieces.
The invention is a xe2x80x9cchuckersxe2x80x9d board game and a new method of playing checkers on this specific board game comprising: a planar 10 row by 10 column checker board comprising 100 square spaces to place game pieces upon; a plurality of said 100 square spaces further including vertical riser blocks affixed to the checker board to provide projecting spaces projecting above the plane of the checker board.
Play is as in Anglo-American Checkers, but there are few different rules. Players may jump their own piece, but not in combination with jumping the opponents piece. However, the player (who can jump their own piece as well as their opponents if allowed) may wait until their next turn to jump their opponents piece which can be referred to as a xe2x80x9cdelayed double jump move.xe2x80x9d The xe2x80x9cdouble jump movexe2x80x9d is frequently referred to Anglo-checkers when a player may jump a piece moving or jumping more than one place at a time.
A game piece on a raised block may be jumped, but the piece is not taken by the opponent. To be kinged, a game piece must make it to the other side of the board, and then flip over the piece to show patterned side respectively. A king may move in any direction, and can jump and take away any game piece, including ones on raised blocks. A player may also jump pieces on raised blocks (even if they are their own). A player may only take away an opponent""s piece located on the raised blocks, if they are kinged. The winner is the player with pieces remaining on the game board.
The invention is at least an improvement over traditional checkers games because play is quickened and more complex strategies emerge than are already known in the art.